In future medical technology, cryogenic sleep will replace the emergency medically
induced coma of today. Patients in life-or-death situations will be cryogenically frozen
until an optimal cure or treatment can be found. The patient will then be released from
their cryogenic sleep, treated, and released. With humanity's plans to return to the moon
this decade and further ambitions to travel to Mars in the next, we need to figure out how
to keep astronauts healthy for these years-long missions. One solution long championed by
science fiction is suspended animation or putting humans in a hibernation-like sleep for the
duration of travel time. Suspended animation and biostasis may elicit science fiction
images of humans in cryosleep pods. If we could put humans in a state of suspended
animation by slowing or even halting metabolic activity, we could alleviate space travel
issues (Hadj-Moussa et al., 2020). In cryogenic sleep, the body’s functions chemically
slow down known as hypersleep, and it is the preferred technology by Passengers. NASA
has developed a cryogenic sleep chamber for astronauts that lowers the astronaut’s body
temperature to (32-34°C), triggering natural hibernation by sending the metabolic rate into
suspended animation for up to two weeks. The idea is to suspend astronauts for a few
weeks to reduce resources and make long-distance space travel tolerable such as the seven
months it takes to get to Mars (Antony, 2021).
Bionics will become widespread in the future through the merging of man and
machine aided by the brain-computer interface. This interface will be between the brain
and computers outside and inside the human body. Artificial arms, legs, ears, eyes, and
other body parts will contain computer chips and microprocessors that may be controlled
both by the autonomous systems of the body and by manual brain manipulation. ("Future
medical technology," 2011). The advancement in medicine and biomechanical engineering
has allowed scientists with new cutting-edge devices to replace organs, limbs, and other
parts of the body. Some of the latest technologies and most promising projects involved in
the making of the bionic body include robotic exoskeleton, total artificial heart, likelife
prosthetics, smartphone-controlled arms, ankle-foot replacement, thought-controlled
robotic leg, highly mobile modular arm, a hand that can feel, and retinal implants (Venkat,
2017).
3D Systems and EksoBionics have designed a 3D-printed robotic suit used in
rehabilitation centers to help patients recover from a stroke or injury or manage conditions
like cerebral palsy. An artificial heart, developed by SynCardia, has already been used in
1,250 patients awaiting a heart transplant. Lifelike prosthetics are 3D-printed prostheses
developed with anatomically correct shapes and complete cosmetic details such as
freckles, fingerprints, painted nails, hair, and even tattoos help lessen the emotional trauma
associated with the loss of a limb. The i-limb quantum, by Touch Bionics, allows patients
with prosthetic arms to program up to 24 commands into their smartphones related to
control grips and movement. The robotic appendage uses myoelectric technology to
function. The BiOM T2 battery-powered ankle-foot prosthesis merges advanced
electronics and biomechanics to mimic lifelike motion, allowing the user a more natural
gait. Since 2010, the world’s first bionic foot-and-calf system has been used by more than
900 patients worldwide, including over 400 war veterans (Venkat, 2017).
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References
Antony. (2021, December 16).>What is Cryogenic Sleep, and Will It Ever Be a
Reality?>Bedstar.>https://www.bedstar.co.uk/sleep-talk/what-is-cryogenic-
sleep.html
Future medical technology. (2011, February 2). Future Technology 500 | Future
Technology 500.>https://www.futuretechnology500.com/index.php/future-medical-
technology/
Hadj-Moussa,>H., Ingelson-Filpula,>A., & Storey,>K.>B. (2020, December
28).>Hibernating lemurs could unlock cryogenic sleep for deep space missions.
CNN.>https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/28/world/lemur-hibernation-deep-space-
mission-scn-partner/index.html
Venkat. (2017, October 23).>The bionic body: Breakthrough transplantation devices.
Assistive Technology Blog.>https://assistivetechnologyblog.com/2017/10/bionic-
body.html
